The trendy looking New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay V3 is a solid option for neutral road runners who are looking for a shoe that delivers in terms of both form and function. It’s a daily trainer that features a high-quality build. The shoe is well-liked by reviewers who really liked the fresh and attractive design. It’s hard to ignore how good looking the shoe is but it’s not the only thing that reviewers like about the New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay V3. It delivers in several other areas including, comfort, overall fit, and ride feel. Reviewers were not disappointed when they took the shoe out for a run. It looks great but also provides a steady, streamlined ride.

Editor's Pros & Cons

Pros

Comfortable

Attractive design

Lightweight

Great fit

Cons

Shoe collar caused blistering for some runners

Some found the toe box a bit too narrow

Some reviewers didn't like the snugger upper fit

Outsole

Outsole

The New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay V3 features a blown rubber outsole. It's a fairly standard outsole but also features some hexagonal treads for extra traction. You can tell that New Balance paid close attention to detail when designing the shoe. The hexagon shapes carry over into the rest of the shoe's design, too. The outsole is plenty grippy enough to handle a variety of surfaces. The outsole is also flexible enough that there's really no need for a breaking in period. The ride feels good right out of the box.

Midsole

Midsole

The midsole of this shoe is composed of Fresh Foam. It's aptly named since it's not just the shoe that looks fresh, the midsole foam feels fresh, too. Even as time goes on, the midsole foam remains responsive. If you take a look at the side profile of the shoe, you'll notice the same hexagon-shaped detailed from the outsole. It's a nice design touch and showcases the thick midsole.

Upper

The New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay V3 features a breathable open mesh upper. The upper is lightweight but isn't prone to tearing. The seamless construction of the shoe's upper helps to reduce the occurrence of friction and reviewers found it super comfortable. The seamless nature of the shoe makes it easy to wear, too. Once again, we find hexagon-shaped detailing on the upper. This time, they are part of the overlays which help enhance support.

The shoe also features some reflective detailing and has stretchy semi-flat laces. Inside there's a sock liner for added comfort and a new Duropontex liner. The updated liner is a little less plush than before. Reviewers liked how well the shoe fit and were happy to report that the seamless upper prevented uncomfortable rubbing. Users also liked the roomy toe box. A few reviewers mentioned that they disliked the heel collar which had a tendency to rub and cause blisters.

Weight

Weight

The Fresh Foam Boracay V3 is a lightweight shoe and nearly all reviewers agreed that the shoe felt lightweight when worn. The men's version weighs around 9.6 oz and the women's clocks in at about 8.15 oz. The shoe is durable but utilizes lightweight materials to keep its shape and provide a snug fit. Again, it's clear New Balance has paid close attention when designing the Fresh Foam Boracay V3. They have shaved off excess weight wherever possible.

Breathability

Breathability

This shoe provides superior ventilation. Not only is the shoe's upper lightweight, it's been carefully designed to offer up exceptional breathability. The open mesh upper circulates air extremely well and the fit is tight without being uncomfortable. A few reviewers did comment that they felt the toe box was a bit too narrow, but they were a select few. The true to size shoe moves along with the wearer for a comfortable ride experience. The shoe never feels too tight but nor does it feel excessively roomy.

Comfort

Comfort

Reviewers loved how comfortable the New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay V3 felt. They were particularly enamored with the Fresh Foam midsole cushioning. The Fresh Foam is bouncy without allowing runners to sink in too far. The shoe fits well, too, and the majority of wearers had no issues with sizing. A few did complain about the narrow toe box or tight upper, but they were a select few. For those concerned about the narrow fit, a wide width version of the New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay V3 is available for purchase. Overall, the shoe is super comfy. There's not even a need for a breaking in period!

Style

Style

While it's not a functional aspect of the shoe, the Fresh Foam Boracay V3 certainly looks fantastic. The hexagonal detailing throughout the shoe is both lovely to look at purposeful. The shoe comes in many colors with quite a few ombre versions that are particularly attractive and trendy. The New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay V3 is a shoe that can easily be worn casually. It's hard to imagine there aren't any users who simply purchased it because of its unique design.

Durability

Durability

The New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay V3 is quite durable. Reviewers had nothing negative to say about the shoe's construction. Like the style details, the shoe's design is clearly well-thought out. The firm cushioning is responsive and doesn't fall flat. The open mesh upper is both solid and breathable. The outsole is covered in blown rubber to protect it against any friction caused by running or walking. Overall, it's a shoe that should last a decent amount of miles in training. It's perfect both long distance training and more casual use.

Protection

Protection

This shoe offers some protection for wearers. The first line of defense? The blown rubber outsole. It can tough out rough handling and the rubber doesn't easily wear off. It's also able to provide traction to wearers thanks to the hexagon-shaped lugs. There will be no slips or falls in the New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay V3. The midsole is the second layer of protection. The rigid foam cushioning is solid enough to provide support and there's plenty of padding there to ensure wearers don't get hurt as they train. The mesh upper protects wearers from getting too hot, getting nasty blisters and instability. The great fit and open mesh help to contribute to this.

Responsiveness

Responsiveness

The New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay V3 is quite responsive. The midsole's Fresh Foam cushioning provides more energy-return than the previous version of the shoe but reviewers commented that they were surprised the cushion wasn't even more responsive. They expected more. Still, the bouncy ride that you do get from the New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay V3 doesn't fall flat. The firm cushioning is plenty durable.

Support

Support

This shoe's firm midsole Fresh Foam cushioning is very supportive. Whether you're a forefoot or heel striker, there's plenty of cushioning underfoot to support you as you move. Reviewers said that they found the New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay V3 extremely supportive and liked the firm cushioning.

Terrain

Terrain

The New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay V3 is made for the roads. The hexagon-shaped lugs on the outsole do provide traction but they are not prominent enough to deal with technical terrain. That's fine, though, the shoe holds up well enough on pavement. The reflective parts of the shoe are perfect for running in populated areas and keep wearers visible when night falls. The mesh upper is better suited to non-trail conditions, too. The open construction isn't appropriate for keeping debris out but is great for running on hot pavement.

Price

Price

The New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay V3 has a fairly high price tag but it's hard to pick out a glaring reason why a runner shouldn't choose it as their primary trainer. It's comfortable, lightweight, durable, and provides a ride that doesn't fall flat. It also looks darn good. The design is super attractive and there's really no reason why you wouldn't wear this shoe around town when its use as a running trainer is done and over with. Technically, you're getting two shoes in one if you look at it that way!

Traction

Traction

This shoe features a blown rubber outsole which on its own doesn't provide too much traction. The grip comes from the hexagon shaped lugs which provide plenty of traction on pavement.

Flexibility

Flexibility

The New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay V3 provides a flexible ride thanks to the added grooves in the outsole. This version of the New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay V3 is way more flexible overall. Reviewers commented that the shoe moves as you move. The seamless upper has the capability to mold and flex as the foot moves throughout a run. This really helps make the shoe comfortable to wear even on long distance runs. Foot swelling is never an issue since the upper material allows for some extra volume.

Stability

Stability

The Fresh Foam Boracay V3 provides a decent amount of stability. Primarily thanks to the secure upper fit. Although the shoe does indeed move as you do, the upper is tight enough to reduce instability. The shoe fits really well according to reviewers and never feels wobbly. The hexagon-shaped overlays help with foot lockdown and ensure runners stay put inside the shoe.

Drop

Drop

The New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay V3 features a 4mm drop. It's a fairly low heel to toe drop but it also brings runners nearer to the surface they're running on. This close to the ground construction helps promote a more stable ride and a more natural feeling one, too. Reviewers who were forefoot strikers appreciated that the shoe did not cater to heel strikers and liked the evenly distributed cushioning.

Bottom Line

The New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay V3 is a solid choice for daily training and features an attractive design that showcases impressive attention to detail. The shoe looks great and performs just as impressively. It's suitable for both low and high mileage runners and provides an excellent fit. The new midsole composition provides better impact protection and a greater degree of bounce. A firmer midsole cushioning provides enhanced support and a tighter upper significantly reduces instability. Added grooves in the outsole promote a more flexible ride. The New Balance Fresh Foam Boracay V3 is a significant improvement over its predecessors and delivers a ride that doesn't fall flat. The shoe is more supportive than ever and just as comfortable as before.